Tiny Victory in Hospital Collections Suit

http://www.insidearm.com/news/00018072-tiny-victory-in-hospital-collections-suit/

There are several morals to be learned from Michael Sargent’s class action law suit against St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital. Maybe the most important one for this crowd: make sure you’re licensed to collect in the state with which you’re doing business.

Sargent sued the hospital in 2008 for using a Missouri-based collection agency to collect debts in Indiana. The Missouri-based part would be fine, if Outsource Group, Inc., were a Missouri-based agency licensed to collect in Indiaia. However, turns out they weren’t. So Sargent won his suit and $2,000.

Sargent wasn’t alone: his suit was a class-action suit against the hospital with 21 other parties participating. In total, the plaintiffs were awarded $31,500.

Including Sargent’s $2,000.

Minus $25,500 in attorneys’ fees.

Which means that those 21 other litigants pulled in about $200 each — oh, and the satisfaction of being on the winning side. And who can put a price on that?

Tiny Victory in Hospital Collections Suit

Mike Bevel

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